The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-11-09
BIRTHPLACE OF ABOLITION

Where the Anti-Slavery > sIement Frat
OriSiDated-An Interesting Document.
A Germantown, Pa, letter to the New
York Sun says: Senator Hoar, of Massa-
chusetts, in his recent speech ruthlessly
shattered the wheel of the universe so
that he might shift its hub from Boston to
Worcester county, as he announces, may
be 'the most favored spot oR the face of
} the earth, the place where intelligence
most abounds, and it may be that If the
Republicans OF that county are defeated
this fall the crack of doom is near, but
there is q document in the archives of
Germantown which testi6es that century
before the anti-slavery cause was born in
Worcester county it had its birth among
little group of Dutch linen weavers
and farmers In this same ancient
burgh of Germantown. This old document
Is probably one OF the quaIntest, as it is
one of the most valuable of the document
AIRY relics of this country's earliest set
tiers. It was written by Francis Daniel
Psstorius, young German scholar of
Noble family who emigrated to this
country with other German and Dutch
emlgraDts in 1852 and founded German
town. They were Menonites, but became
Quskers through their intercourse with
the followers of Penn. These latter were
Shareholders and slavedealers, facts that
were ebhoyrent 10 PastoTius. On April Is
1853, he drew up a protest, which wss
signed by three other leading men In the
settlement, and forwarded to the Friends
meeting. The following is a verbatim
copy Of the original:
This is to ye Monthly Meeting held at
Rlgert Worrells:
These are the reasons why we are against
the tTafiick OF men's-bOdy as fOlloWeth
Istthere any that would be done or han
died in this manner? viz. to be sold or
made a slave tor all the time of his life?
How fearful faIut-hearted are many en-
sea when they see strange vessel being
afraid il should be a Turck, and they
sbOuld be taken and sold for Slaves in
, Turkey. Now what is this better done as
1urcks doe? yea rather is il worse for them,
| wich say they are Christians, for we hear
that ye most part of such Meyers are
brought neither against their will & con-
sent, and that many of them are STOLEN.
celNe tiisre is more liberty to have them
slaves, as it is TO have other white ones.
There is saying, that we shall do TO all
men, licke as we will be done our selves
masking no difference of what generation,
descent, or Colour they are. And those
who steal or rob men, and those who buy or
purchase them, are they not all alicke ?
Here is liberty OF Conscience, web Is
right and reasonable here ought to be
lickevise liberty of ye body, except at
evildoers, web is an other case. Bat to
bring men hither, or to robb and sell them
against their will, we stand together. 10
Europe there many oppressed for Con-.
science s2cke, and here there are those op.
pressee web are of q black Colour. And
We. wbo know that men must not commit
adultery, some doe commit adultery in
others, separating vifes from their hus-
bands, and giving them to others aud
, some sell the children OF those poor Great
ures to other men. OH doe consider well
this things, you who doe it. If you would
be done at this manner? and il II is done
according to christianity? You surrass
Holland and Germany in this thing. This
n'sckes an Ill repoet in all those Countries
of Eorope. where they hear off, that ye
Quskers doe here handle men, Licke they
handle ther ye Cattle; and for that reason
some nave no mind or inclination TO come
hither. And who shall maintaine this your
cause or plaid for it2 Truely We can not dc
30 except you shall inform rs better hereof
viz. that Christians have liberty TO psac
tise this things. Pray What thing In
the world can be done worse towards d!
than IL men should robb or steal Us away
a sell rs for slaves to strange Countries
separating housband from their wife and
children.
Being now this Is not done as that man
ner we will be done at, therefore we con
tredict Il are against this tra8ick of meI
body. And we who profess that IL il 20
lsvful to steal, must likewise avoid II
purchase such things as are stolen, bu
rather help to stop this rebbing and steal
ing II possibel and such men augbt TO b
deiivred out of ye hands of ye Robber
and set free as well as in Europe. Ther
10 Pensilvsnia to have q good report, II
stead 81 hath DOW bad one for this sack,
IN other c9Rptiss Especially whereas y